


Minding The Moon

by blacktea



Series: A Slytherin's Guide To Managing Your Future [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Acromantulas, Alternate Universe - Sorting (Harry Potter), F/M, Gen, Kung Fu, Possession, Slytherin Luna
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-02-28 10:52:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2729738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacktea/pseuds/blacktea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're going to be the death of me," he muttered darkly. "Do not be silly Draco. I like you much too well to kill you."</p><p>He sighed. Like that was going to matter.</p><p>AU Where Luna is sorted into Slytherin and Draco struggles to keep a promise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Draco v A Nargle

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so, this this story is just going to have a whole bunch of self-contained fics that tell a larger story. 
> 
> Also in this story Luna is not a year younger. That is explained, but not for a while. Also there are a few plot twist that you may or may not see coming. I'm not quite done with this. I figure I'll post a chapter every couple of weeks. I hope that by keeping the chapters short I can keep my momentum. Anyway I hope you enjoy.

Draco v a nargle

"I think she's crying," Gregory Goyle whispered to him with the subtlety of an ogre. (Everyone knew they were unable to produce soft sounds.)

Vincent Crabbe nodded his head decisively. "I reckon he's right. She seems rather upset."

Draco Malfoy sighed. It didn't take a genius to see that the blond girl sobbing in-between cars was upset. (Clearly as both Greg and Vince had managed it.) 

He tried not to let on how the sound of her obvious despair was troubling him.

Desperate he shoved a handkerchief in her general direction. "Here," he said with a small wince. The word had come out a little more gruff than he had been intending.

The girl ceased her soulful waling and blinked at him with huge eyes. Beneath the tears they were a soft blue. She frowned at the lace square he was presenting her with.

He shoved it into one of her hands. "Come on now. Clean yourself up a bit. It's not proper for a lady to wear tears." He scowled. He sounded like his mother.

To his great relief the girl daintily dried her eyes. And then she took to just studying him with the most peculiar expression.

He felt his scowl grow under her scrutiny. "What?!"

For whatever reason his belligerent snarl was all she needed to start beaming at him like some mad girl. "I was just thinking that you are a surprisingly dependable individual Draco Malfoy."

He gritted his teeth, but made no response. How was he supposed to respond to that? She acted like they'd met before, but he didn't remember ever meeting her.

"Too true, crying girl," Vince told her with a grin. "Draco is as predictable as a clock."

Greg nodded enthusiastically. "We always know just how he's going to be angry."

He frowned at his friends. What did they mean? They were the predictable ones. They acted like they understood him. They hardly understood anything. How could they know anything about him?

The girl just giggled. "Like a clock? I was thinking more along the lines of the ground."

"Are you calling me dirt?" Honestly, he really had no idea what she was talking about.

She waved off his words. He would have been angry, but she was making him so confused it was hard to hold onto his ire. She was mostly just giving him a headache. "Of course not. I was calling you stable. In a temperamental sort of way."

"Well, I guess that's alright. As long as you aren't insulting me." He crossed his arms. "And I'm not temperamental."

She just giggled again. "Sure." She folded up his handkerchief and held it out for him. "Thank you for this. I was feeling quite upset, but I think I will be alright now."

He took it and tucked it into his pocket. "Why were you upset anyway?"

"I was looking for somewhere to sit and the people in that compartment back there were ridiculing my father."

"Why would they do that?" If people did that to him, he would hex them. Or have Vince or Greg punch them.

She looked away from them. She almost looked shy. "Promise you will not laugh."

He shrugged. "I promise." It was a small thing to promise. He could see no harm in it.

"My father owns and operates the The Quibbler. Have you heard of it?"

It took everything in him not to laugh, but he resisted. Malfoys didn't break their promises. "Er, on occasion," he said neutrally. Not that it mattered. Greg was chuckling while Vince asked her if she was crazy too. He smacked them both on the head. "Shut up."

If before she looked curious, now she looked perplexed. "Huh? You really did not laugh."

"I told you I wouldn't."

"That you did, but you do not hold my father's paper in any higher regard."

He shrugged. "Not particularly."

"What if I could prove to you that the creatures he reports on exists?"

He regarded the girl before him warily. Something about her stance worried him. It was like she was tricking him. He shook off the absurd notion and smirked at her. "You can't. That's why everyone will think you're crazy."

"But I can, Draco Malfoy. Give me five minutes and you will have a creature you have never heard of in your hand."

He shot an uneasy glance at his friends who were still chuckling lightly under their breathes. His father said he was supposed to be telling them what to do. They wouldn't listen to him if he backed down to some random girl. He lifted his chinned. "Why should I?"

"Why should you not? This creature is harmless. You are not scared, are you?"

Greg blinked at him. "Are you scared, mate?"

Draco growled at him before returning his attention to wisp of a girl who was clearly trying to undermine his authority. "I'm _not_ scared. And," he rose to his full height which was annoyingly exactly even with her, "I'll even be generous. If you can prove to me this creature exists, I'll look out for you and I'll try to make sure that the entire school doesn't think you're crazy."

Her smile became mysterious. "That is rather generous. Is that a promise?"

He opened his mouth, but hesitated. Promises like that could be dangerous. But Vince was already looking ready to comment on his reluctance. He couldn't afford to be weak in front of them; Malfoys weren't weak. "Sure. But the creature needs to be in my hand in five minutes or no deal."

"Alright, then there is no time to waste. The creature I am going to show you is a nargle. All you need to do is reach behind your left ear and make like you are catching a snitch."

He shot her a suspicious glare. "How did you know I play seeker?"

"You just seemed like the type to want to play that position."

He frowned at her little confused. "What do you mean by that?"

She made a low tsking noise. "Uh, uh. It's not fair if you don't follow my instructions."

Reluctantly he reached behind his ear and pretended he was pulling a snitch from behind it.

And suddenly he was pulling something, but it certainly didn't feel like a snitch.

Filled with both curiosity and dread he brought whatever the squirming thing was about a foot from his face at eye level.

"It's," fuzzy, oddly formed, had three feet, "Ugly."

"I always thought they were kind of cute. Of course they are rather pesky. They emit a low frequency buzz that disrupts cognition."

The nargle started gnawing on his thumb with it's tiny, dull teeth. "It's not poisonous, right?"

The girl shook her head.

"Where is it?"

Draco turned to Greg. "What do you mean? It's right here between my fingers."

The bulky boy exchanged a dubious glance with Vince who snorted, "No it ain't. I don't see anything."

"Yes, there is," he snapped at them. 

But they just shook their heads.

"I am afraid they cannot see it Draco Malfoy. Their minds are not open to the possibility of it."

Wait a second! "And _mine_ was? I thought you were crazy."

She shrugged. "You must have been more open to the possibility than you realized."

That was ridiculous! He was _not_ open to the possibility. It's not his fault that apparently nargles did, in fact, exist. If he thought it was a possibility, he would have never promised-

Aw, crap!

He had promised.

He was so screwed.

"Draco Malfoy are you alright?"

Who was this girl? He didn't even know her name?

"You look pale." 

He always looked bloody pale. Who cared?

"I actually thought removing the nargle would allow for an improvement in your mood."

"You can't tell my father?" He managed to say.

Her eyes widened. (Also was she ever going to blink?) "About the nargle?"

"Wha- No! Not about this stupid thing. About the promise. You can't tell him," and then after a short pause, "Or my mother. Promise me you won't ever tell them."

For some reason she was looking at him as if he was the crazy one. She shrugged. "Alright. I do not really foresee conversing with them though."

He sighed. "Thank you. Also what is your name?"

"Oh, I thought I had said. My name is Luna Lovegood."

Luna? It was a nice enough name he supposed. "Alright, Lu. Here's what's going to happen. After we make your clothes less unkempt and your hair more presentable we will be returning to our car." Honestly, he wasn't sure why she had been allowed out of her house. He was never allowed to even attend _breakfast_ looking so disheveled.

"What about Harry Potter?" Vince asked.

He sighed. "It will have to wait."

After all, he wouldn't be looking after her very well if he just left her wandering the Hogwarts' Express probably incurring ridicule at every turn.

He could already tell that this promise was going to be a lot harder to keep than the first one.


	2. Draco V Boil Cure Potion

Draco was beginning to think Luna Lovegood was the most terrifying person he'd ever met.

"And I'll stir this briskly. Or was it supposed to be slowly?"

He gritted his teeth. It was actually supposed to be counter clockwise and at about medium speed. Quickly he added some dried fly wings so they didn't die a horrible fiery death.

Distantly he heard Professor Snape saying something about the porcupine quills, but he was too busy making sure Luna didn't kill them. She seemed to think that since her mother was rather adventurous with potions that their first potions class was the ideal time to follow her intuition. If _he_ hadn't had extensive potions lessons she would have already killed them (and half their class) about 5 times.

(Also hadn't her mother _died_ mixing potions? He would think that would make her more _not less_ cautious.)

Finally, five minutes later they were capping their potions and no one had been hurt. Although not for lack of innovation on Luna's part. He wasn't sure what had possessed her to put newt eyes into boil cure potion, but he was coming to the resigned conclusion that he would probably never understand how she thought.

"Malfoy, Lovegood, Longbottom, I have something to discuss with you after class."

Draco watched as the Gryffindors and the other Slytherins wandered out of the class. Potter and the Weasel were glaring at Snape suspiciously.

"Mister Malfoy, I noticed that you were able to contain the number of mishaps at your table to zero."

"Sir?" He had a bad feeling where this was going.

"I think Mister Longbottom would benefit from your guidance; So I've decided that the three of you will be a group."

Draco sighed, but nodded. "Yes, sir."

Snape smirked and tilted his head. "You're dismissed."

Once they were in the hall Luna turned to Longbottom. "You're Neville, right?"

The pudgy boy just nodded. "Yeah, er, sorry about just now." He said the words to Luna, but his eyes were directed at Draco before they fell to the floor.

Luna just laughed. "Whatever is there to be sorry for? I think it sounds marvelous. Three to a group is surely more fun than two. Did you know the three headed birds are much happier than two headed ones?"

"Uh, not really?" Longbottom replied clearly flummoxed.

Not that Luna noticed. She started prattling on about the Etruscan Emu as the made their way down the hall. 

The Gryffindor boy shot him a puzzled look, but Draco shrugged. "That's Lu for you. A fountain of information."

"I _am_ sorry though. I know you don't want to have to help me."

Draco shrugged. "Well you don't seem as bad as the other Gryffindors." He shot a glance at Luna, but she was still quite content to carry the conversation entirely on her own. "Besides at least you seem to hesitate before deciding to blow yourself up." Honestly, Luna was entirely too courageous for Draco's nerves.

Longbottom smiled at him nervously. "So, uh, friends?"

Draco shook his hand in quick economic movement. "Sure. Might as well."

Longbottom seemed like the nervous type. Being friendly would probably allow him to be more at ease and less likely to get Draco killed.

After all, Luna really didn't need any assistance.


	3. Draco v Gravity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another installment. Eventually I plan on doing one from Luna's point of view, but for now it's just this story.

Three days later it was time for the first flying lesson. Not that he needed them. He'd been flying since he could walk, but he supposed some of his peers had grown up in hovels amongst muggles.

"This is so exciting! Daddy never lets me fly on his broom."

Draco frowned. Why did her father not allow her to fly?

What did Xenophilius Lovegood know that Draco did not? (Except plenty pointless information about creatures no one had ever heard of.)

He scanned the faces of his peers. His Slytherin colleagues looked bored like him. The Gryffindors all looked excited and/or nervous. Longbottom looked very on edge.

After Madam Hooch gave her instructions, she had the class line up. He felt his shoulders get tighter every time Luna advanced in line. If she flew like she made potions-

He shuddered.

"Alright Miss Lovegood, here's your broom."

"Wait!"

Luna, Hooch and everyone else turned to look at him. Hooch raised an expectant eyebrow. "Yes, Mister Malfoy?"

He sighed. "I was just wondering if I could fly at the same time as Luna. I'm feeling very nervous about," her, "Flying alone. And I would feel much better if she accompanied me."

Pretty much everyone started laughing. Obviously, it was ridiculous what he was saying, but he did say he would look after her. Letting her break her neck didn't seem like the thing to do. Pansy was actually sending him a grateful smile. It was kind of amazing how close the two had gotten. (Especially after Luna had magically been declared the leader of the female half of their year. He wasn't sure how. It was like some girl secret, but Pansy didn't seem bitter about it all.) Longbottom just looked confused.

Madam Hooch squinted at him clearly trying to discern his angle. "Well, I guess, if you're that nervous. Is it your first time flying?"

At this the other students just laughed harder. "No," he muttered as his ears started burning.

Even so she allowed it.

At first everything was alright, but then Luna shot up into the sky and started performing tricky aerial maneuvers. And that might have been alright, but then she started falling from the sky for some reason. Her course was setting her up for a impact with one of the trees lining the Forbidden Forest. 

Luckily he was able to knock her off course at the last second. Unfortunately that led to them landing in a heap about 2 meters from the tree.

Something in his arm snapped and he concentrated on not passing out.

"Miss Lovegood what happened?"

Luna teetered to her feet. "Well, I was flying and then I was thinking about muggle airplanes. When I was little I used to think that the were carried along by wizards on brooms, but they are not. They actually..."

"Miss Lovegood, it is critically important that you maintain focus while flying a broom."

"Oh, dear. Sometimes I have trouble with that."

Draco suppressed a moan. That was probably why her father didn't let her fly.

Although he must have made some noise because Hooch turned her attention to him. "Mister Malfoy, were you injured?"

He just nodded. It wasn't just his arm that was hurting. It felt like he may of fractured a few of his ribs as well.

"Miss Lovegood please escort him to the hospital wing." Hooch turned to the students that had assembled to watch. "I need someone else to help Miss Lovegood."

"I'll do it!" Longbottom nearly shouted in his earnestness.

"Alright. Longbottom, Lovegood you are excused from the rest of class. You can keep Mister Malfoy company as Madam Pomfrey sees to him. Also Miss Lovegood you will no longer be allowed to participate in this class."

Luna sighed even as she helped him to his feet. "Oh, well. Maybe Daddy was right. He always said the sky might not be big enough for me."

Draco fervently agreed. 

Twenty minutes later as he was waiting for his bones to regrow he shot Longbottom a suspicious look. "Why were you so eager to help me?"

The other boy tried and failed to look calm. "Me? Eager? Ah, no. I was just worried. We're friends."

Draco felt his eyebrows shoot up. There was no way Longbottom wasn't lying. 

"Okay, fine. I was scared. I don't like flying. I'm bad at it," he said defensively.

Luna clapped him on the back encouragingly. "It's alright Neville. I'm not very good either."

Draco rolled his eyes. Not very good is not how he'd describe her flying. That sounded way too innocuous. "How many lessons have you had?"

"Well, Uncle Algey used to throw me off the roof all the time. That's how they found out I wasn't a squib."

Draco frowned at the other boy. "What does that have to do with flying lessons? Also there are plenty of safer ways to figure out if you're a squib. For instance, Hogwarts doesn't send out letters to squibs." Longbottom's family sounded insane.

"Oh, well that's how they tried to teach me."

No wonder he was scared of flying.

"Draco you should give Neville flying lessons."

"I guess I could." Longbottom wasn't so bad. It didn't seem right that a pureblooded wizard couldn't fly. (Except for Luna. It seemed _exceedingly_ right that she not fly.)

"And me as well," Luna said gleefully.

"We'll see."

Like hell was he ever letting her fly again.  
***

Draco sighed. "Stop looking so nervous Longbottom. We're not going to be doing anything remotely dangerous." Really if Longbottom felt comfortable playing with deadly plants, this shouldn't be that scary. "We're not letting Lu fly after all," he muttered.

"You said I could if I can pay attention to Neville's whole lesson," Luna reminded him. It was hard to tell, but she may have actually been a little indignant over his lack of faith.

"Right," he allowed grudgingly. He was hoping that it wouldn't come to that. "Anyway, you sit over there. Ready, Longbottom?" Longbottom's face drained of color and he was visibly shaking, but Draco decided to ignore that for the moment. "Great. Straddle the broom. Do not attempt to go anywhere. I just want you to be in ready position."

With visible reluctance Longbottom positioned himself on the broom.

"Okay. That's mostly fine , but you need to adjust your grip. A little less tight. You need to be able to change it quickly. You can't do that if you're tight. Good. Now I want you to sand there and the get used to the feel of the broom below you. Even though your legs don't support you in the air this impacts your stability. Good. So just stand there for a while. Take deep breaths. Close your eyes and get used to how it feels."

Slowly he watched Longbottom become relaxed. After about five minutes he said, "Alright. Now picture being just barely off the ground. Only an inch or two. The grass should brush against your shoes."

Slowly Longbottom rose very slightly off the ground.

"Now hold that position. Imagine it being as firm as standing on the ground. The thing about flying is you need to absolutely believe you won't fall. Doubting the stability of your broom is something you want to avoid." 

Idly he turned his attention to Luna and was relieved to note that she appeared to be talking to a butterfly. Thank goodness he wouldn't have to allow her on a broom.

He turned back to Longbottom. "Okay open your eyes. How do you feel?"

The Gryffindor blinked a couple times before smiling at him shakily. "Pretty good actually. I feel a lot more in control."

"Control is good. Now for the rest of the lesson I just want you to fly around at this height. Concentrate on keeping yourself low and slow. It's not a race."

And that what he did for the next half hour before Draco called time. "And I think that's enough."  
Longbottom jumped off his broom. "Whew. I feel exhausted."

"It's to be expected. It takes a lot more skill to remain low and maintain low speeds. Once you master that flying in the open air is easy."

"Oh! That makes a lot of sense. Is that how your father taught you?"

Draco nodded. "Yes. It was over a year before he let me fly very high, but I've never had any issue with control." Most of his friends had been taught in a more haphazard manner, but he definitely thought his technique was better than theirs.

"Well, I like this way better than being thrown off the roof."

Draco chuckled. "Of course you do; you're _not_ insane."

"And it seems Luna got distracted."

Luna had somehow convinced many butterflies to land on her and was now twirling around. "I know. Thank Merlin. I really didn't want to let her near a broom."

Longbottom smirked. "Of course you didn't; _you're_ not insane."

Ironically, Luna called them both such when they spent the next half an hour laughing themselves into exhaustion.


	4. Draco v The Status Quo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so here's another chapter. Just a little snippet of Draco, Vince and Greg.

Draco v the status quo

Before he stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. Before he'd found Luna crying. Before he'd made that ridiculous promise, Draco had been told how his year would go. His father had made it very clear that he was to establish his place at the top of his year and that Greg and Vince would be there to persuade anyone who didn't fall in line.

It hadn't really turned out that way though. He was much too busy keeping Luna from killing herself (or him) to be paying much mind to politics. It felt like he had to be constantly on guard. Most evenings he hardly had enough energy to do homework, much less be any kind of potential leader.

So it really shouldn't have surprised him, that two weeks into the semester Greg and Vince approached two parts confused and a tad wary. (It did though.)

"What?" Luna had miraculously fallen asleep in the common room which meant he could take a nap too.

Vince and Greg exchanged a serious look before Vince said, "When are you going to start telling us what to do again? You were doing it on the train, but you haven't since we got here."

He sighed. "I don't really have time."

Greg shook his head. "But my dad said I had to."

Draco eyed the two boys standing in front of him. They had been friends since before they could walk and the idea of telling them what to do was still uncomfortable. Sure they weren't extremely bright, but they were still smarter than half the Gryffindors in their year. Heck, they were generally the ones to come with what games to play. "Just do whatever you want; you can tell your fathers I told you to do it."

Vince scrunched his brows together in thought. "But what if we do something they don't like?"

Draco shrugged. "Then maybe you won't have to listen to me anymore."

Greg beamed at him. "That's a right smart idea Draco. Thanks!"

Vince laughed. "Yeah, we'll do what you just said. Good luck with Lovegood."

Draco frowned at him. "What do you mean by that?"

The two shared a conspiratorial glance. "Draco everyone can see how much time you've been spending with her. I'm not too surprised. Always knew you'd go for a blonde one."

Draco crossed his arms. "What are you on about Greg?"

Vince smirked. "Just that you fancy her."

He felt his scowl grow. "I do not!"

Greg nodded. "Yes, you do; she's blonde."

"Stop saying _that_ like it's a reason to fancy her."

They both shrugged. "It is for you," Greg insisted. "And it was true for your father; your mother is blonde, you know. I bet your grandmother was too."

He opened then closed his mouth. It was pointless to argue. (Besides they were actually not that far off.) "Whatever. Just keep your far-fetched notions to yourself."

Later they ended up getting advice from Luna, but, _whatever_ , she was blonde that was probably reason enough for them to listen to her.


	5. Draco v King Aragog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the chapter the summary comes from.

"Draco."

He was only half awake, but he knew to frown.

Pansy Parkinson wasn't supposed to be in his dorm.

"Draco, Luna decided to go to the Forbidden Forest."

"What? She what? _Why would you tell me that?_ " 

Now that he knew he had to do something about it.

"She's my best friend. I don't want her to get hurt. Go make sure she doesn't get hurt."

He sighed, but quickly pulled on a robe and slipped on some shoes. "So why aren't _you_ stopping her?"

Pansy shrugged. "It's not my place to question her. Besides, I feel much more comfortable risking your life."

"Thanks," he muttered.

Fortunately, he managed to exit the castle without running into Flich or his blasted cat.

Even more fortunately he managed to catch Luna before she entered the bloody forest. "Oh thank Merlin I caught you," he gasped as he came alongside her. He didn't even want to think about looking for her in the forest.

"Oh, did you want to come too?"

Sometimes ( _most_ times) he wondered why she did the things she did. "No! I'm here to take you back to the castle. There's a reason it's called the Forbidden Forest and it's not because it's a safe place to go take a stroll."

"Of course not. It's called that because we are not allowed to enter it."

Draco sighed. "Then why would you want to go in there?"

"Well think of all the things I could find in there. I've been looking around the castle, but I felt it may behoove me to broaden my search."

"Wait you've been wondering around at night?" That didn't seem too safe either. 

"When else would I explore? Most of the interesting creatures are nocturnal."

Of course they were. "Look, Lu. I'm not letting you go into the dark, scary forest."

"But Draco if you stop me now, I will just come back when you are asleep."

He almost felt like crying. "Why are you telling me this?"

She shrugged. "It is the truth."

The truth was going to be the death of him. He looked at Hogwarts mournfully. Why had none of the adults caught them? What kind of piss poor supervision was that? "Okay, well, then I guess I'm going with you."

Luna clapped her hands together. "Great! It will be twice as fun!"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Actually he was thinking about how likely it was that they were going to die.

And then Luna set off through the brush at an alarmingly brisk pace.

He stopped her about five minutes later and suggested that he take front. He said it was because he was better at clearing the path (Luna didn't have much inclination to even try with her impatience), but really it was to control the speed at which they were hurtling into danger. How she was sorted into Slytherin with daring such as hers, he would never know.

It felt like an eternity, but it had probably only been ten minutes, when he said, "Well isn't this great? All these creepy shadows and strange noises. Heck we could even turn around and see the ones we just walked past."

Luna laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, Draco."

He sighed. Caution wasn't ridiculous. It was sane.

"Yes. Don't be ridiculous."

He froze and Luna froze behind him. There in front of them, not six feet away was an acromantula. It was bigger than a horse and much more terrifying. "Shite." Now he knew what creature was going to eat him; he was going to be eaten by a spider.

"It strange to see such small wizards. You don't look old enough to have many spells."

Draco focused on not passing out. Not only was the spider huge, it apparently could reason.

They were so dead.

"Lu, I'm going to try and distract it. You need to run."

"But-"

" _Lu._ " It really wasn't the time to argue.

"Fine I'll get help." Yeah a whole lot of good that would do. He'd probably be dead within the minute.

"Great. Now run." And then he whipped his wand toward the beast. " _Incendio._ "

It just moved and dodged his spell easily. Using one of its numerous limbs it knocked his wand into a nearby bush and used another to snag his collar.

It brought him really close so he could look into every one of its eyes. 

"Surely you knew you could not defeat me."

Draco just jerked his wrists up non-committedly before going limp in defeat.

"And yet you tried assist the other in escaping."

Draco closed his eyes. He wasn't sure why it was taking so long to be eaten, but he was more than willing to see less spider as it happened.

"I too have done stupid things in the defense of my queen."

 

Wait, what? He cracked an eye open at the creature. "She's not my queen."

"You follow her into danger and try to save her from it."

"Uh, that's not- Er?"

"Perhaps you humans call it something different. It does not matter. I think Mosag will want to meet her."

"Mo-sag?" He asked shakily as he was lowered to the ground. It was looking more and more like he might live through the night. Sweet Merlin's socks, it was a bloody miracle!

The spider gave him rough tap on the head. "You will address her as Queen Mosag."

"Er, Sorry. And you? What do I address you as?" Because this acromantula was there right then and could eat him immediately.

"Call me King Aragog small wizard."

"Definitely will do that King Aragog, Sir."

A few moments later more giant spiders appeared. One was carrying Luna. Aragog must have made some signal because she was soon set down near him. As soon as her feet touched the ground she raced to his side.

Great. Now she was afraid.

Aragog studied her for a moment before kneeling in a way that made Draco think he was bowing. "Greetings small witch. Who are your subjects? I am King Aragog. My Queen, Mosag, rules over the acromantulas who live here in the forest."

Draco regarded Luna nervously. He really, _really_ hoped she didn't get them eaten.

"And greetings back to you King Aragog. Right now I reign over just a few, but someday I hope to hold sway over many."

Draco looked at the girl beside him startled. He could tell she wasn't lying so he was thrown for a loop. While it was not unusual for Slytherin girls to have political ambitions, she had just never seemed to have any. 

Aragog made some rough noise the Draco dearly hoped was a laugh because otherwise it probably meant he was angry. Or hungry. "This is good. Great queens must start when they are small if they want to have a far reaching web. Mosag will be most pleased to meet you. Come. I will take you to her."

They must have walked for more than an hour, but finally they came to a corpse of trees the shined silver with the layers of webs dangling from them. The grip Luna had on his hand had loosened and she seemed to have decided that their trip into the Forbidden Forest was no longer terrifying. It wasn't very fair. He was still absolutely frightened.

Before he could grow any more irritated with Luna, another spider emerged from where the webs were densest. Aragog was big, but this spider was beyond comprehension.

"My queen. I found this small witch wondering about our territory. She is a queen too."

"Oh?" Somehow the voice of this spider queen was like silver in the moonlight: pure and bright. "I will speak with her then. You will entertain the small wizard?"

What did she mean by entertain?

"With pleasure."

Luna just skipped over to the queen and bowed before following her into the nest.

She really was the world's most terrifying girl.

"So small wizard have you ever heard of football?"

"What?" 

It turned out football was some muggle sport played with a ball and two goals. Despite the fact that it involved no flying, it was actually alright. Another benefit was that it was relatively safe to play with giant spiders.

A couple hours later Luna emerged and they bid their new friends goodbye. 

As they approached the edge of the forest Luna poked him in the back. "See? That was not so bad."

He gaped at her. "Wasn't so bad? _Wasn't so bad?!_ We almost got _killed_."

"But we did not."

He scoffed at her incredulously.

"I am really glad you decided to come with me though. I was actually too scared to go in by myself."

He froze. "But- but you said that-"

She her lips quirked up in at slightly mischievous cant. "I was lying."

"You're going to be the death of me," he muttered darkly as they started towards the castle again.

"Do not be silly Draco. I like you much too well to kill you."

He sighed.

Like that was going to matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Draco. Also my head canon is that Luna didn't start venturing into the forest until the end of her third year. I figure she might do it sooner with some back up.


	6. Slytherin v Gryffindor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this brings us to the end of first year. In case any of y'all were wondering Draco is not the most observant. Nor is he likely to question a great many things. He is fairly focused on keeping himself (and Luna) in one piece. So if there were a few things you've noticed that seemed strange, well, maybe they were, but they weren't to Draco and/or he didn't care.

“-ten points to Neville Longbottom. For-”

Draco scowled as Dumbledore gave another bullshit reason to take away their house cup victory. “Of course, Granger doesn’t lose any points for nearly breaking his neck. And the lot of them are being rewarded for breaking school rules. Everyone knows they went into the Forbidden Corridor.”

Luna frowned. “This actually is not very fair. Before it had not seemed so-"

"Before? What are you talking about exactly?"

Luna laughed. "Oh nothing for you to concern yourself over." And then she shot to her feet. "Headmaster Dumbledore."

The long bearded man just blinked at her. "Yes, Miss Lovegood?" Draco could tell he wasn't expecting much. Poor, old fool. He had no idea what he was getting into.

"The points you just awarded were meriting activities that other students had no access to and were expressly forbidden by school rules. I would just like to know if you deducted any points for misconduct. I know for a fact that Neville could have been severely injured the night Hermione Granger petrified him on the stairs."

Predictably, the Gryffindors started talking all at once.

Dumbledore actually looked taken aback. "Miss Lovegood, these were extenuating circumstances."

"So you are saying it is okay to endanger our lives and those of our friends as long it pleases you in the end."

Draco snorted. Luna did all those things just for fun. No reward necessary.

Dumbledore opened his mouth and then closed it. McGonagall sighed. "She's right Albus. As much as I would like to win the house cup, this just isn't right."

Before the silvered wizard could respond Flitwick nodded. "I agree. Really they would have been in much less danger had they been following school rules."

Snape actually looked sort of happy. The curve of his lips might have been a smile. "My students have obeyed school rules and when they were caught disobeying them they were punished."

Draco winced at the memory of being caught by McGonagall the same night Potter and company had been doing whatever they'd ended up in the infirmary for. He and Luna had lost thirty points each. She hadn't cared in the least that the mating season of the Blibbering Humdinger had just started. Much to Luna's surprise. (He hadn't be surprised. At all.)

Sprout gave Dumbledore a stern look.

"Uh, well, then Slytherin has yet again won the House Cup!" he declared with a brightness that did nothing to hide how off put he was.

Needless to say, the Slytherins rather enjoyed the Ending Feast. The fact that the Gryffindors were pouting the whole time made it all the sweeter. Halfway through Neville decided to join them at their table.

Draco smirked at him as sat to his right. "Finally realized you're in the wrong house?" It was really too bad Neville didn't have much in the way of ambition. Draco could have used some in house back-up to keeping Luna in one piece. (The other Slytherins were either too amused and/or inexplicably too deferential to dissuade her any.)

Neville rolled his eyes. "Shut it you. I just got tired of everyone being so glum. Before Dumbledore started throwing out points, they didn't even think they were going to win." His eyes fell to his goblet. "And besides I'm kind of happy my best friends got to win."

Draco blinked. When had that happened? How did he get to be, not only friends, but best friends with a Gryffindor. "That's sweet of you Neville," Luna chirped.

Neville shot him a shy look. He rolled his eyes. "Just try to keep the other Gryffindors out of your victories Longbottom. I would hate to have to even partially cheer on the rabble that your house is filled with."

Longbottom being the sap he was beamed, but Draco didn't mind it much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously though. Neville actually could have been injured with that stair stunt. And it never seemed fair to me how Dumbledore just gave Gryffindor the House Cup at the end.


	7. Draco v Muggle London

Draco eyed the muggle building in front of him with trepidation. "So you're absolutely certain my father won't hear of this?"

Luna's smile morphed into a small line. "I don't see how he would Draco. It will be fine. I really think you will like this."

"What's so great about this muvee thing anyway?"

"You'll just have to wait. It's something you just have to see to understand."

He hadn't been impressed by the poorly upholstered seats, the sticky floors or the smelly muggles, but the movie was actually pretty cool.

"And they weren't using magic?"

Luna shook her head. "No. I think it's called Kung Fu."

Those muggles had been pretty impressive with that. He might be able to use something like that to live to his next birthday. "Do all muggles know it?"

"I do not think so."

Damn. He would have to find one that did. It didn't help that there were like a million muggles.

"Thanks for coming to the movie with me."

"Hn." Did the muggles have a ministry? Could he go there and ask about kung fu?

"Also thanks for taking me to that boutique. Now I have plenty of new clothes for meeting your mother."

"Yeah. No problem." He would probably have to go to London. That city had everything.

"Do you know why she wants to have tea with me?"

"Not really." That's it! He would fly to London and find someone to teach him kung fu. How hard could it be?

"Do you think I should be nervous?"

"Nah. I'm sure Mother will like you just fine." After all, they were just muggles. They weren't that hard to figure out.

"Well, if you say so. So once we get back to my house, do you want your plimpy soup hot or cold?"

...

"What's a plimpy?"

***

Draco had been to wizarding London many times, but he'd never had reason to go to the muggle part.

It was a great deal bigger.

And some of the building looked much too high to accomplish without magic. Perhaps they had been aided by wizards.

He saw no buildings labeled 'ministry' so he just started entering the big ones he was walking by.

The first one happened to be a museum.

Apparently since he was a minor they let him in for free. Not that it really mattered. He had plenty of money if they required compensation.

The muggle museum was actually fairly impressive, but no one there knew where he could learn kung fu. One elderly muggle suggested he try the library a few blocks away.

The librarian there was much nicer than Madam Pince. She got out something she called a directory. Then she showed him a list of addresses. She even helpfully provided him a map.

"Thanks," he told her with a small bow. "Father was wrong. Some of you muggles seem quite decent."

The muggle woman tilted her head. "Is that so? Are you going to be alright young man?"

"Of course. What could possibly happen?"

For some reason she seemed very reluctant to let him go. "Do you at least have a ride?"

He just nodded. He couldn't really explain to her he would be riding his broom.

At last, she let him leave. She even gave him some muggle candy.

Ten minutes later he landed his broom in an alley three blocks from his destination. Fortunately it was very foggy day so it wasn't too hard to fly without being seen by muggles.

The address he was searching for was a small square building with the words kung fu on it.

Good. He'd found the right place.

He walked in and approached what appeared to be a reception desk. "Good morning. I would like to speak to owner of this establishment."

The girl slouching behind the desk looked at him. "Isn't it a little early for Halloween?" She looked Chinese and had her hair pulled up in a high ponytail.

Muggles could be so strange. "Yes. Is the owner in?" He kept his words crisp, but still polite. The muggle probably couldn't make more sense.

"Al-right-y, let me just go get him." She hopped off her chair and disappeared around a corner.

About ten minutes later she returned with a man whole looked to be in his mid fifties.

"Hello, young man. Were you interested in lessons?"

Draco clasped his arms behind his back. "We'll see. First I have some questions for you."  
Father always said to do his research. "If I learn kung fu from you, how prepared would I be to battle giant spiders?"

"What?"

He huffed in impatience. "Giant spiders. Bigger than a horse." He raised a hand way above his head.

"Are you being serious?" The man turned to the girl. "Is he being serious? Is this some joke?"

Draco sighed. "Well, you're right. I'm not too serious about that. Acromantulas aren't so bad once you get to know them. But what about werewolves? Or a small dragon?"

But they just stared at him.

He decided to go to the next place on his list. These muggles were clearly too stupid to help him.

But every place he went he ran into similar problems. One woman suggested he go see a doctor.

Which didn't make sense. The whole point was so he _didn't_ need medical attention.

He sighed as he touched down at his last destination. This address was actually out of London proper. It was actually a farm surrounded by rolling countryside.

"Can I help you?"

Draco spun around to find a tall dark haired man glaring at him. "Hopefully," he said as he put his broom on his back. Hopefully the muggle hadn't seen him fly in. "I want to learn kung fu."

The muggle spat onto the ground. "Sorry, kid. Had to close down shop. Not enough money in it."

Bollocks! Now what? "Well, do you have any suggestions? None of the other people I consulted suited my needs."

"Suited your needs, huh? What exactly are your needs? You don't seem particularly needy."

Draco sighed. "Well, if you must know, one of my good friends is probably one of the most terrifying people on the planet. She never seems properly afraid and I promised to look after her. Unfortunately, she is fond of putting herself in mortal peril."

The muggle just started laughing.

"Hey! I'm not joking. I'm pretty sure she's going to get me killed."

The man stopped laughing and looked him over. "You're not joking."

"Of course not. I've been told I have a horrible sense of humor."

"So you're saying you want to be more ready for 'mortal peril'?"

Draco nodded. "That and more specifically things that can eat me."

"To be more specific."

Draco scowled at him. "Yes. So do you have any recommendations?"

"Not really, but I've decided I'll do it."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because while you may lack humor, you're plenty entertaining. How were you planning on compensating me?"

"Father gives me an allowance. I can give you two galleons a day."

"What's a galleon?"

Draco frowned at the man before him. Was he so poor he'd never seen a galleon? Draco fished one out of his money purse and handed to him.

"Is this solid gold?”

"Yes. I'm not some petty criminal. I would not give you counterfeit coin."

Muggles were just so strange. Did he look like common criminal? (Most certainly not.)

"Kid, you've been running all over town with this much gold on your person?"

"Of course. How else was I supposed to pay for services?" It was bad form to carry inadequate funds.

"Unbelievable. So where do you live?"

"Wiltshire."

"You do realize that's nowhere near here, right?"

"I am aware."

The muggle for some reason laughed and shook his head.

"Alright, Boy. Then we can start whenever you like."

“Excellent! We should start immediately.” Luna was likely to be even more reckless he imagined. And his summer was fairly free. His mother was distracted with…Luna. Still.

He wasn’t sure why she kept having Luna over for tea, but it probably better not to think on it. The affairs of women were not for men to contemplate. Luna didn’t seem to mind so he supposed it couldn’t be too bad.

And his father was busy too. With something.

It never paid to meddle when his father was plotting.

…

Which meant he was free.

And perhaps a little kung fu was just what he needed to actually live to see another summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, I did just have Draco fly about London in wizarding robes asking about fighting werewolves and dragons. (He just wants to be prepared; it's not a crime.) And it didn't even occur to him that muggles use different currency. And no, he doesn't have to worry about 'stranger danger' with the man he just hired. 
> 
> Have you been keeping track of how this universe is different? Luna is in Slytherin, Luna actually has friends, Crabbe and Goyle aren't Draco's minions, Harry never caught Neville's rememberall and thus is not on the team, Luna befriended acromantulas, so did Draco, and Slytherin won the house cup. Oh, and now Draco is learning kung fu from a muggle.
> 
> However that's all fairly minor. Year two is where things really change. Second year might be just one chapter. A long one. I don't know when it will be out, but I can tell you a bit about it. Draco and Neville have some quality bonding time, we learn some Malfoy family secrets and the title will be Draco v A Basilisk.


	8. Draco v Professor Snape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I decided decided to break up 2nd year like I did with first year. The story is easier to write that way I guess. Mostly done with 2nd year except the last and most important part. Hope you enjoy this bit.

“Professor?”

It wasn’t often Draco felt the need or desire to seek out his head of house. The potions professor wasn’t particularly good company at any part of the day. And he was very certain Snape preferred to be alone.

“Yes, Mister Malfoy?” There it was: keen disinterest; just like he was expecting. He hadn’t even warranted a glance as he stepped into Snape’s dungeon office.

“I have a concern about one of my classmates.” Concern sounded so much more civilized than alarm.

“Miss Lovegood, correct?”

He knew! Maybe that meant there was nothing to worry about. “How did you know, Sir?”

Snape actually directed his gaze to him and rose one of his eyebrows real high. “Well, she seems to take up a vast majority of your _concern_.”

“I have my reasons.” Really it was as much for his sake as hers. Not that he could properly explain that to anyone. “Anyway, she’s been acting odd.”

Snape’s lips twitched in what seemed to be actual amusement. “Miss Lovegood acting odd? Imagine that.”

Draco just barely managed to school his expression. He wasn’t going to get anywhere scowling at Snape. (Besides the man might take it as reason to give him a detention.) “Odd for _her_ , Sir. She’s been wandering off. She disappears for hours.”

Snape scoffed and once again redirected his to papers he’d been grading. “It’s my understanding that’s normal behavior for Miss Lovegood. What’s wrong? Did you have a tiff and now she’s avoiding you?”

Of course Snape knew about Luna’s tendency to ‘explore’ at night and that he accompanied her. “There was no fight. She has just been distant.” She hardly even said ‘hi’ to him anymore. Or Pansy. Or anyone else. She wasn’t eating as much (when she did show up for meals). “She’s stopped eating pudding.”

Luna _loved_  pudding. Sometimes he could bribe her into being a safer human being with it.

“I’m not a couple’s counselor, Mister Malfoy. I suggest you discuss this with her. Rather than me. In fact, I insist.”

“But-“

“If you have no other _actual_  issues, please leave me be.”

Draco pressed his lips together, but nodded. “Yes, Sir.” Clearly, he wasn’t going to be able to convince him today. No need to burn bridges for tomorrow’s arguments.

“Hello, Draco.”

Draco managed (barely) not show any visible alarm as Luna popped up beside him just moments after he’d shut Snape’s door. What was she doing there? (Had she heard anything?)

“Luna what are you doing here?” Normally he never asked Luna to explain herself as most times he regretted knowing.

“ _Not_  snitching to Snape.”

“So you heard that? You were listening?” Normally he never asked Luna painfully obvious questions because the resultant conversation was guaranteed to make his brain hurt.

“Oh, yes. I wonder what you were hoping to gain; I thought we were friends.”

“My friend seems to be gone a lot.” Not for the first time in his life, he appreciated the fact that his parents had always stressed the importance of say exactly what you mean.

“It’s none of your business where I go Draco Malfoy.” He nearly laughed. That was decidedly not true.

“Why would I care where a freak like you goes?” _Sorry, Lu._ “I don’t really care if you manage to get yourself hurt or worse. It’s been a pain looking after you and Mother has insisted that I distance myself from you. It’s sounds bleeding terrific to not have to pretend to see your imaginary hogwash.”

Normally he wouldn’t have ever said anything like that to Luna. She was too nice to deserve it and most of it was patently untrue. His mother was actually quite fond of her (for some reason) and he’d had the dubious pleasure of actually finding many of her father’s creatures. (It galled that they’d yet to find one that _other_  people saw, but being perceived as sane wasn’t something he could completely control.)

Normally he wouldn’t have ever said anything like that to Luna, but he didn’t think he was talking to _her_.

“Then why go to Snape?” Luna (or the thing with her face) tried to affect sadness or betrayed or accusatory, but it wasn’t right because Luna <em> _didn’t_ </em> use her emotions like weapons. It was bloody hard to tell if anything affected her. And when she was visibly upset, it was raw and ugly and painful to watch. Not a perfectly choreographed pouting bottom lip and delicately scrunched eyebrows.

(Also Luna always called Snape with his title. She never referred to anyone by just their last name.)

Draco scoffed at the thing’s arrogance. Thinking that anyone besides Luna could fill her shoes. “I guess it was habit? And besides, I don’t think it hurts to keep proper authority figures informed.” Gryffindors were stupid. Teachers could be great assets in keeping one safe and healthy and should be exploited thusly.

“Well, then it should relieve you to know that I no longer need nor desire your continued presence, _and_  that Snape is in complete support of me branching out.”

Draco kept his expression calm, but inwardly swore. How had this thing gotten to Snape? What was it? (How was he going to get it _out_  of Luna?) “Well, then, have a nice life.”

With a shrug he turned and walked like he _wasn’t_  worried his best friend was possessed by a malevolent spirit.

_“Goodbye, Draco.”_

And he continued to walk away, when he actually heard Luna Lovegood for the first time in weeks. That thing was going to pay for messing with him. (For messing with her.)

He had promised to look out for her; and Malfoys always kept their promises.


	9. Draco v Pansy Parkinson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another because it's the holidays! I think I will actually publish most of what I have. Although, I don't know when I will finish the end.

“Draco something is wrong with Luna.”

“I know.” Pansy had taken the time to arrange a clandestine meeting in one of the harder to find closets. He had no problem with telling her the truth.

“What is it?! Why haven’t you told someone?” She was vibrating with anger and looked a second from hexing him. (Not that that was _too_  out of the norm for Pansy.)

“I think she’s been possessed; and I think that thing has gotten to Snape somehow.”

“Gotten to-“ Pansy’s face morphed from worry to abject terror. “We _have_  to tell someone about this! Like McGonagall or even that buffoon of a headmaster.”

He shook his head. “No. Not until we know what or who it is.”

Pansy shoved him into the wall of closet in frustration. “Who cares?! And besides it’s probably the same person who opened the Chamber of Secrets and petrified that wretched cat and the annoying muggle-born!”

“Exactly!”

“Exactly _what_ , you prat? That _thing_  is running around in Luna’s body!”

“Precisely. And just how gentle do you think the teachers will be when removing it when it endangers the whole school?”

Pansy pursed her lips in frustration. “I’m sure that some of our professors could manage a serviceable exorcism.”

“Probably so, but I’m more worried that they’ll tip the thing off and what damage it could do on the way out.”

Wizard kind had a long history of dealing with possessions. And when handled with suitable and considerable care the individual possessed walked away undamaged in body, mind or spirit. (Aside for the unpleasant memories, of course.) Most possessions didn’t end cleanly though. And most people who were possessed were irreparably damaged by the experience.

“They would be careful.” But he could tell she was nowhere near certain. She knew how bad the fallout could be.

He sneered. “They’d probably try, but Snape is the only person here I’d trust to navigate this correctly and he is not an option.” Snape had probably discovered the possession first, but had been unprepared for the strength of the spirit.

“But this doesn’t make any sense! A spirit that strong! Strong enough to possess someone and then influence _Snape_  from inside the body of child. It would have to have a physical tie to this world, an anchor. How would Luna have come into contact with something like that?”

He shrugged. He honestly couldn’t figure out what would be anchoring the spirit. It had been fairly obvious it would need one. (Anyone with even rudimentary knowledge in the Dark Arts would have to know that.) But there was nothing on her person that was obviously dark. And the spirit in her would certainly notice if he started disappearing off with her things. (It wasn’t like people just took her stuff for fun.)

“So what are you going to do then? If you aren’t going to help?”

Draco rolled his eyes. Pansy could be so dramatic. “I _am_  going to help of course. I’m just not going to let that thing see it coming. Right now it thinks I don’t care what happens to Lu and for now it has to stay that way.”

“But how?”

“I’m going to figure what it is.” Somehow. “And then figure out how to get it out.” Somehow.

“So you have _no_ _bleeding idea_  what you’re doing.”

“No, but I’m not going to let our fruit of a headmaster bungle this up. All he cares about is Scarhead and I won’t let Lu to get hurt due to his negligence.”

Pansy heaved a sigh. “So what do I do then?”

“Just keep everything afloat, alright? Once I get this sorted out, it would be nice if Lu had a life to get back to. She seems like she gearing up for some serious political reform, or something.” That was putting it mildly. From what he’d gathered from overheard snippets of conversations she had with Queen Mosag, she was more accurately planning a revolution.

“I can do that, but promise me you’ll save Luna.”

Draco forced down a hysterical laugh. “Pans, I can promise you this: I’m going to save Lu or die trying.”

Pansy was a good friend; the least he could was tell her the truth.


	10. Draco v Queen Mosag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah! More acromantula!

“So where are we going again?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “ _I_  am going to ask Queen Mosag why the spiders are all fleeing the school into the forest. _You_ , through no doing of my own, are following me.”

“Har har, Malfoy. I’m asking _why_  you would want to do such an insane thing, you twat. When Luna said you guys were chumming up with acromantulas, I thought she was joking, or pretending, or _something_  a great deal more safe.”

“Well, Longbottom, while I’d be willing to give _both_  my kidneys for Lu to just tad more apprehensive about literally anything, she’s not. And she’s truthful to a fault so…” He shrugged. “And again, you don’t need to come with me. I, through no will of my own, am quite familiar with this section of the forest and can safely navigate to where the nest is.”

“It just doesn’t seem right, is all.”

Draco stopped and turned to look at his companion. “What doesn’t seem right?”

“This. You. Wandering around without Luna. You guys don’t even talk in potions. Luna, she doesn’t even wave to me in the halls. I thought we were all, you know, friends.”

“Of course, we’re still friends, Longbottom. But the thing possessing Luna doesn’t seem to know about you, and I was trying to keep you out of it.”

_”You think Luna’s possessed!”_

“I _know_  she’s possessed.”

“How?”

“It’s like you said. Something is off. Luna hardly talks to anyone. She’s disappears for hours at a time. She doesn’t skip through the halls. She doesn’t mention anything about the Quibbler. And surely you noticed, she has become positively competent at potion work.” In fact, Luna was _excelling_  in potions and if that didn’t scream possession, he wasn’t sure what would.

Neville was disgustingly dependable so he just nodded. “Right. What can I do to help?”

“I’m not sure yet.” He started heading though the forest again. He wanted to get answers so he be step closer to figuring out what was going on. “I’m hoping Queen Mosag will have some answers.”

“But what if, she’s already gotten to the acromantulas.”

Draco shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think Lu is keeping her memories a secret somehow. I think it only knows what other people can find out. I’m the only one who knew about Queen Mosag and haven’t mentioned them to her since before the school year started.”

“But what if you’re _wrong_?”

Draco flashed a grin over his shoulders. “Then, I suppose we’re about to be eaten by spiders.” It was kind of fun being the reckless one. No wonder Luna seemed to like it.

“That’s not very funny.”

“I’d hazard there’s _nothing_  funny about being eaten by an acromantula,” Draco added darkly.

“You’ve gone mad. You don’t realize it, but you have.”

“Possibly. Anyway clench up. We’re getting close and soon we’re going to be seeing a lot more spiders.” The path he normally took was bordered on either side by eight legged travelers and he had no doubt they were all going to the same place to seek shelter.

Neville whimpered but otherwise made no other noises of distress. (Gryffindors were really too brave for their own good.)

“Draco Malfoy where have you been? And who is it you’ve brought with you?”

“Hey, Aragog. Sorry it’s been so long. Things have come up. This is Neville Longbottom the only tolerable Gryffindor in the history of ever.”

Neville on his part managed an anemic wave.

“I see. This year has been busy for us as well. Where is Queen Luna? Mosag has missed her.”

“Lu has been…detained. It is urgent that I speak with Queen Mosag.”

Aragog waved one of his front legs in a spider version of a nod. “I can see you are troubled my young friend. I will take you to her immediately and watch over your friend while you talk to her.”

“Thanks.”

It was only another five minutes before they came upon the dense silk of the nest.

“My Queen, Draco Malfoy wishes an audience with you.”

“Draco?” Mosag’s voice was as lovely as ever, but clearly troubled. “And what of Luna?” It was not hard to read her concern as she peeked her head out to see who had come to see her. (Well, it wasn’t hard to read it after months of interacting with giant spiders.)

“Queen Mosag, part of what I want to speak to you about is Luna…and her absence.”

“Very well. Come join me.”

Draco have never actually been inside the nest. It was curtesy Mosag extended to Luna due to her perceived status. It was lovely and oddly quiet inside. With all the spiders crawling through it seemed to be breathing.

“Now, tell me of Luna.”

“Luna has been possessed and I believe whatever is scaring the spiders away from Hogwarts might be related. That it might be tied to the Chamber of Secrets.”

“I am truly troubled to hear of Luna’s plight, but we do not speak of the creature kept in that chamber or as we know it, The Nest of Bad Omens.”

“You must tell me. That creature is being used to terrorize the school.”

“To even say the creature’s name is to invite disaster upon myself and my people. What could you offer me to take on such misfortune?”

“Anything.” Winter Hols was fast approaching. He needed to know what he was dealing with before then. Luna was going home for break which meant he would be able investigate without notifying her. If he only knew what to investigate.

“That is a dangerous thing to offer.”

“Life has become more dangerous of late; trying to keep up, I guess.”

“Very well. Then promise me you will defeat the beast. If it is gone, I believe energies on the web will re-aligned.”

Promise. That word was going to kill him. (Probably soon.) “Queen Mosag, I promise to defeat the beast. Now please.

“ _Tell me what it is_.”


	11. Draco v Vincent Crabbe (sort of) and Gregory Goyle (not really)

Draco nodded satisfied as he tucked one last book into his bag. As fortune had it, Madam Pince was a great deal less attentive when school wasn’t in session. She seemed to be reading something that actually had her smiling. (The things he never wanted to learn.)

What it meant though was that he’d acquired a few key resources from the forbidden section of the library.

Now he just had to find a super-secret places to read them and possibly brew up a few potions.

“Malfoy!”

Draco turned to find Vince and Greg running up to him looking uncharacteristically anxious. “What’s with the last name bit, Vince.”

“Uh, er-“

“We just wanted to get your attention,” Greg hurriedly told him, so rushed he was tripping over his words. Greg generally talked in more deliberate manner.

“Well, you have it. You’re both acting odd.” He felt his stomach twist in unease. Could they be possessed too. He’d never heard a spirit possessing not only one, but three people.

“Well, uh, want to go build a snow fort?”

“It could be fun?”

“Are you asking me, or telling me?” They didn’t seem like that thing in Luna, but they weren’t acting like his friends either.

“Come on, Draco, it’ll do you some good.”

“You’ve not been yourself.”

Well, it _did_  sound fun. And he probably needed to take a break for the sake of his sanity.

“You’re one to talk, Greg. Seriously the way you two ran up: it was like watching the lumbering of Gryffindors.”

“That’s offensive, Mate.”

“We lumber much better than those idiots. Right, Greg.”

“Too true, Vince.”

Draco felt the tension in his shoulders ease a little. That sounded more like his friends. “Alright, then. Let’s go build that snow fort.”

After casting a protective charm to keep his newly acquired bounty dry, he set off for the front entrance. He could see through the windows that it was snowing lightly. They were right it would be fun to make a snow fort.

“So, Draco, who do you think is the Heir to Slytherin?”

“I don’t know. It isn’t bloody Potter though. He hasn’t got brain enough.”

“So you don’t have any idea?”

Draco scowled. “Not really, but he’d have to be fairly old.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because Father told me The Chamber was opened before: fifty years ago. Though I suppose the heir could that person’s descendant. But I’ve told you both this before, just last week. Are you feeling alright?”

“Well-“

“Get away from ‘im, you imposter!”

“Greg; why are you beating up… yourself?” He tuned to his head slightly. “And why is Vince kicking _himself_  in the ribs?” He knew something had been off. “Also why aren’t you wearing any robes?”

“Potter and Weasley gave us some drugged cupcakes. When we came to, we just knew we hadta hunt ‘em down. And then we saw them looking like us!”

“Did you tell ‘em anything sensitive? Like the fact that you can’t see yourself in mirrors?”

“No, Vincent; that would be _you_ , just now.”

It was one of the more harmless family curses. Made keeping his hair neat tricky though.

“You don’t show up in mirrors?” Potter squawked.

“You’re a bleeding vampire!?” One could count on Weasley to come to stupid conclusions.

Draco sneered at the two Gryffindors as they struggled to pick themselves up. It felt good in a way. Predictable. Like how his life was supposed to be.

(But he didn’t really have time for antagonizing Gryffindors.)

“Don’t be simple. I can’t see myself; doesn’t mean I don’t show up.”

“That’s a bloody weird curse!”

Draco shrugged. Weasley had regained his red hair, but was still more Vince than anything else. Potter’s bleeding scar had reappeared on his head. “Yes, well, I did not incur it, I just have to live with it.” And the other 746 curses his family had been ‘gifted’ during the last two millennia. All of them were annoying and great many were also harmful. Like the one that made muggle technology _explode_  when they touched it. (One time, his father had been jostled into muggle vehicle while on business on the muggle side of London.)

“Why were you impersonating Greg and Vince?”

“None of your business, Malfoy!”

Weasley; a true idiot. “Oh? Well, you do know it is a crime to impersonate someone without their express permission.”

Potter predictably didn’t, but from the way Weasley face went red it was clear he did. And it _was_  now Weasley’s face. The potion seemed to have mostly worn off. “Well, we thought you were the Heir to Slytherin!”

He rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m not.”

“Fine, then! We’re going to find the real Heir to Slytherin! You can’t stop us!”

“Okay.” He watched bemused as they stomped off indignantly.

Greg laughed. “They got a might touchy for being in the wrong.”

“Yeah, we weren’t impersonating them and accusing them of attacking muggleborns.”

Draco just shook his head. “Well, whatever. Do you guys want to go put on some robes and then build a snow fort? That was probably their one good idea in the last hour.”

Potter and Weasley were wrong though; _he_ was going to find the Heir to Slytherin.

(He a score to settle with him.)


End file.
